


Lovesick

by d0g-bless (d0gbless)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Allura shapeshifts, F/M, Fever, Flu, Love Confessions, Minor Hunk/Keith (Voltron), Pining, Shidgetember 2020, Sick Character, Temporarily Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:48:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26321407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/d0gbless/pseuds/d0g-bless
Summary: Before Haggar, before the druids, before all the terrible awful things Shiro's done and never, ever, ever wants to think about again, Shiro had to be doubly careful about the flu and other contagious illnesses, as they do not mix well with chronic illnesses. He's sure he'll be fine if he contracts it, but still, they don't have anything to help them if Pidge's condition worsens. If she gets pneumonia or a bacterial infection, then what?Even though there's a space mall, Shiro has yet to stumble upon anything remotely like a space hospital. And even if there is such a thing, would they have the ability to heal Pidge? The healing pods, incredible as they are, have limitations, and unfortunately that includes anything from the common cold to the flu to smallpox.So right now, that leaves it up to Shiro to take care of her.Alternatively: Shiro takes care of a sick Pidge and decides when is a good time to tell her how he feels about her.(Shidgember Day 6: Flu)
Relationships: Pidge | Katie Holt/Shiro
Comments: 2
Kudos: 23





	Lovesick

**Author's Note:**

> I'll be honest, I'm not too happy with this fic, but not every fic is going to be one I like, and that's OK. Hope you guys enjoy!
> 
> Shidgtember Day 6: Flu

Having a sick Paladin is always a less than ideal situation. Allura doesn't dare think of it as a worst-case scenario (that'd be a dead or compromised Paladin). Just less than ideal because means they're a limb or head short of being able to form Voltron, and when forming a coalition, well, the Lions on their own can only do so much to impress potential allies. To admit that a Paladin is sick is often seen as a sign of weakness, that Voltron isn't some perfect creation like the stories say it is.

But for a Paladin to admit they're sick is an entirely different situation, assuming said Paladin will actually admit they're sick. Hunk is by far the fastest to admit to it, which isn't a surprise, given how honest (too honest?) Hunk was about his weak stomach from the very beginning. Lance is next, though compared to Hunk, he's worse to deal with in that he whines on and on about the action he's missing out on, how it's not fair that Keith can go out and fight, but poor, poor Lance is stuck in bed. Then there's Keith — stubborn to a fault but can at least admit that maybe he's not at peak condition.

Allura can't decide who's worse between the last two Paladins: Shiro or Pidge.

Pidge works until she passes out in the lab, refusing to give up on finding what just might be a trace of her missing brother and father. Sickness won't stop her from doing that, either — she'll keep pushing through, even though all she really needs is a full night's rest, and it takes the entire team to make her give in.

Shiro, like Pidge, is dedicated to working. He has a strict routine and to stray from that routine is the closest thing Shiro considers a sin or something along those lines. He puts walls up, doesn't let anyone in, save for Keith and Pidge, but even then, it takes a lot to get Shiro to admit he needs help of any variety. He needs to be stronger than the rest of the team, a burden he doesn't have to carry but chooses to do so. So when he's sick, he's in deep denial and will do his best to avoid seeking medical treatment. 

Unfortunately, the Castle's healing pods aren't exactly meant for non-Altean illnesses, which is an unfortunate thing to have overlooked in retrospect, but it's about 10,000 years too late to worry about that.

At least not until today, when Pidge woke up in the lab with a concerningly high fever. Allura found her shivering beneath several layers of thick blankets. She presses a hand against Pidge's forehead, slick with sweat. "Pidge, you're burning up!"

"I-I'm fine, 'llura," she says through chattering teeth. "Jus' gotta work on a few things, that's all." She turns back to her computer and begins to cough violently, like she might hack up a lung.

"Do _not_ make me carry you to bed," Allura says, fully knowing that's exactly what she will have to do. She takes a deep breath and changes color entirely, from deep brown to a light purple, and grows a few feet taller, her arms rippling with muscle. She scoops Pidge up and expects Pidge to put up a fight.

So when Pidge doesn't try to fight back or even scream bloody murder, Allura knows something is very, very wrong.

The others see it and know it, too, as they watch the Galra version of Allura carry Pidge down the Castle's halls and into her dump of a bedroom without a fuss. They try their best to pretend this isn't completely out of the ordinary. It's an attempt at some semblance of normalcy, should such a thing exist in their lives right now.

Hunk does this by doing what he does best: cooking up a storm for his friends to the best of his ability. Without Hunk, the Paladins don't know how they would have made it this long on just food goo and Coran's special Paladin meal that not even the least picky eater in the universe would be willing to touch.

"What's on the menu for today?" Lance asks. "Weird alien fruit? Or weird alien vegetables?"

"Just because it's from a non-Earth planet doesn't make it weird, Lance. And all these incredible ingredients have names, a history, traditions! I mean, to think that this root —" Hunk dangles a pungent tuber in front of Lance's face — "does not need sunlight, water, or carbon dioxide to thrive is something else!"

"To be fair, that's what my dad always said about alien life. We're always looking for things like oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, the so-called building blocks of life, but that's such an Earth-centric view to hold. There are elements that we don't even know about yet, so why should any other lifeforms need the same things we do?"

Hunk and Lance whirl around to find a sniffling Pidge sitting at the table. "Uh, Pidge," Lance says. "Didn't Allura carry you to bed?"

Pidge sneezes and wipes her nose with her sleeve. "Well, yeah, but fighting doesn't get me anywhere. It's part of my newest strategy."

"Pidge," Hunk starts, "I love you very, very, very much, but please get out of my kitchen before you contaminate anything else with your snot."

She mutters something about her sinuses and going to the lab right before walking into Keith. "Morning, Pidge," he says. Keith's tightened expression suggests he's doing his best to ignore the mucus she somehow managed to get all over his shirt. "Why are you in the kitchen when you're sick?"

"I'm not _that_ sick."

"Allura had to carry her to bed because she has a really high fever," Hunk pipes up.

"Traitor," Pidge hisses.

Hunk shrugs. "Sorry, Pidge, you know the rules about being in the kitchen with a fever, cough, or sniffles. I'll stop by your room with some soup that'll clear up your sinuses and your cold along with them."

Pidge wrinkles her nose. "Just try not to make it too spicy? That nearly killed me the last time I was sick." She coughs a few more times and excuses herself from the kitchen and makes her way to the lab, where Shiro's talking with Coran about something.

Shiro's face lights up when he catches a glimpse of Pidge, who tries her best to return his smile with equal enthusiasm. "You have perfect timing, Pidge! Coran and I were just talking about some tech upgrades for the Lions."

She nods, though something feels... off. Since when did Shiro get so much taller? And why is the left side of her face so cold? Everything's foggy and out of focus. She tries to fight off whatever it is pulling her down, but she's so tired. Before she's aware of anything, she's already drifted away. 

* * *

Shiro feels terrible he wasn't able to catch Pidge before she collapsed to the floor out of exhaustion. If she weren't sleeping in his bed right now, Shiro would be asking Pidge if she could access WebMD to try to get some kind of diagnosis like they usually do when a Paladin is sick and they're not sure what it is. Though most alien because whatever this is, it is definitely not your common cold.

It's probably the flu, or some weird alien strain of it. Shiro's best educated guess comes from the posters the Garrison medics, nurses, and resident assistants would tape to the wall in the late fall: "Cold vs. Flu: Which is It?" and "Don't Forget to Get Your Free Flu Shot!"

Cold symptoms don't happen at the drop of a hat. They appear gradually. But Pidge's symptoms (high fever, coughs, sneezing, runny nose, weakness, fatigue, chills) hit her like a meteor shower, with all the symptoms crashing into her simultaneously in the morning.

Shiro has to keep telling himself that Pidge is young, generally healthy, and strong, but knowing that she probably has the flu terrifies him. Before Haggar, before the druids, before all the terrible awful things Shiro's done and never, ever, ever wants to think about again, Shiro had to be doubly careful about the flu and other contagious illnesses, as they do not mix well with chronic illnesses. He's sure he'll be fine if he contracts it, but still, they don't have anything to help them if Pidge's condition worsens. If she gets pneumonia or a bacterial infection, then what? Even though there's a space mall, Shiro has yet to stumble upon anything remotely like a space hospital. And even if there is such a thing, would they have the ability to heal Pidge? The healing pods, incredible as they are, have limitations, and unfortunately that includes anything from the common cold to the flu to smallpox.

So right now, that leaves it up to Shiro to take care of her.

"Wh... where am I?" Pidge tries to sit up, but she collapses back onto Shiro's pillow. "I-I was in the lab, and now I'm...?" She whirls her head around like an owl taking in unfamiliar surroundings.

"You collapsed in the lab," Shiro says. "You're in my room. Black Paladin quarters."

She nods slowly. "That's nice." Pidge sniffles — or sniffs? — the black blanket covering Shiro's bed. "Smells nice, too. Like you."

Shiro isn't sure if his words sunk in at all or if Pidge is even fully aware of the situation. He gives it another go. "Pidge, do you remember when you and Hunk mapped out my arm? And some of my DNA and other things, too?"

"Yeah."

"You guys found that I've been genetically modified to be more immune to the flu and similar illnesses, right?"

"Uh-huh."

"That's why you're in my room. Because I think you have the flu. And if you have the flu, we can't risk anyone else getting it. So we're quarantining in here together until the bug is out of your system." Sensing Pidge's oncoming protest, Shiro adds, "Hunk and Coran can take over your work in the lab. Lance and Keith are going to take over your chores and kitchen tasks."

"And what about finding my brother and dad? I can't give up on them because of a measly little flu!" She breaks out into a fit of coughs.

Shiro rests his hand on her burning forehead, which crinkles with what has to be anger when he says, "That doesn't sound measly or little to me."

"I can't rest until I find them."

"You have to, Pidge, I'm sorry. I know you're going to hate me for it."

She rolls over on her side, turning her back on Shiro, and speaks so quietly he can barely hear her. "I could never hate you. Not even if I wanted to."

* * *

 _I could never hate you. Not even if I wanted to._ Those words, uttered by a very feverish Pidge, haunt Shiro's mind like the ghosts of the Holts, a thought he has to stop himself from thinking because no, they aren't dead. They can't be. The Holts are fighters, and Pidge is proof of that, even now as she fights this sickness, this flu.

Shiro estimates it's nearly time for dinner and rings for Hunk over the comms. "Can you bring us something to eat?"

He's surprised to see Keith is the one in charge of delivering food. He rolls out a serving cart with a set of covered dishes and sporks and carefully sets the dining ware at the doors to the Black Paladin quarters. "How's Pidge doing?" Keith asks.

"Better, I think," Shiro replies. "I think her fever is starting to go down."

"That's good to hear. And are you alright?"

Shiro blinks. "O-of course I am."

"Coran was saying you really freaked out when Pidge collapsed this morning."

"Of course I did! I'd freak out if any of you collapsed out of the middle of nowhere." Shiro isn't sure where the need to defend himself and his reaction came from, exactly, or why he felt a need to defend himself in the first place.

"But would you voluntarily quarantine yourself with the others?" Keith's violet eyes pierce through Shiro's defenses like a knife. Keith knows more about Shiro — more specifically, Shiro's disease — than the others do. He knows Shiro, prior to Recent Events, would have gone out of his way to avoid being with someone who had a case of the common cold.

"It's complicated, Keith," Shiro retorts.

Keith's expression softens, with... pity? Shiro can't quite make it out. "That's exactly what I said before Hunk and I were a thing, you know."

Hunk and Keith... a thing? Shiro's jaw goes slack. "I'm sorry, what?"

Keith stares at him blankly. "Wow. I know Lance is clueless about this kind of stuff, but you, Shiro? You're on another level."

"I hadn't noticed." It's true. Had Shiro noticed the looks Keith and Hunk exchanged, the way they were closer together, the fact that Hunk volunteered to go out with Keith on more missions, he might have said something, congratulated them, reminded them to make sure they were being safe, not that they have access to condoms or lube or anything like that. "How long have you two been...?" In love? Kissing? Dating? Fucking?

"Almost three phoebs now."

Three phoebs. Three months. Three months, and Shiro hadn't noticed. "Why didn't you tell me?" It stings a little bit, that Keith didn't tell him. He and Keith have always been close, but apparently not as close as Shiro believed they were.

Keith shrugs. "We thought you already knew. It's not like we've been hiding it."

That does make it a little less painful. Shiro closes his eyes and sighs. "It really is complicated with us."

"Aw, there's an _us_!" 

Shiro's ears burn. "There is not an _us._ And Pidge has a lot on her plate already. She doesn't need another thing to worry about when she's looking for her family."

"You feel guilty," Keith observes.

Now _that_ takes Shiro aback. Keith isn't an idiot by any means — the Galaxy Garrison doesn't suffer fools lightly and it doesn't accept them into its ranks, either — but socially, Keith struggles. It's impressive that Keith recognized that so quickly, maybe even faster than Shiro did. "Hunk must really rub off on you," Shiro says.

"We rub off on each other," Keith replies. "I give him a push every once in a while, and he gives me a little insight on how to be better with people."

"You're a good team." Shiro flashes Keith a smile. "I'm happy for you guys."

"You and Pidge would make a good team, too, you know."

Shiro's smile fades. What Keith says is true — he and Pidge _do_ work well together. They care for one another, they trust one another, and... well, they like one another. "Maybe," Shiro says. "Anyways, I should take the food while it's still hot. Give my compliments to the chef. And a congratulations."

Keith rolls his eyes, then he rolls the cart back to the kitchen, to Hunk.

* * *

Pidge stirs beneath the thick comforter and layers of blankets weighing her down. She rubs her eyes and croaks, "Shiro?" It's so dark in this room compared to hers, where she's hung strings of lights on the walls made from junk and rubble she's collected from various planets. Shiro's room is so clean it feels unnatural in a way, like it's rarely used, _if_ it's ever been used at all.

"You're awake," Shiro says. "Are you hungry? Hunk made dinner." He places a metal tray on Pidge's lap, then sets the silverware (a single spork) and covered bowl down.

Pidge lifts the cover on the food. It's a very full bowl of the stew Hunk promised from earlier. It smells spicy and looks rich. Her stomach lurches in response. "Not really." She re-covers Hunk's sick day stew and pushes the bowl aside.

Shiro takes the tray and sets it on the nightstand to Pidge's right. "If you're not going to eat, then you need to drink." Shiro offers her a canteen. "Water, freshly filtered through the Castle's systems."

She takes the proffered drink and knocks back a couple of large sips.

"How are you feeling?"

"Tired."

"Even though you've been sleeping most of the day?"

Pidge scowls. "That's not funny, Shiro."

"Wasn't trying to be. Sorry." This feels weird, Pidge snapping at him like this. "I'm just trying to get a feel for where you're at." He quickly adds, "Health-wise." Because that's the focus here, nothing else.

"I feel a little better than before," Pidge admits. 

_You look better than before._ Damn Keith for getting into his head! Shiro checks her temperature with his cybernetic hand. "You still have a fever, but it's not as high as it was earlier."

The cool touch of metal feels great to Pidge, who's sweating up a storm from beneath the covers. She doesn't dare remove them, though, because she's still cold. "Being sick is weird. You're freezing cold, but your temperature is high and you sweat worse than usual."

Shiro makes a mental note to have his sheets washed when Pidge is no longer in quarantine, not for the fear of spreading germs but her sweat. For some reason, the smallest Paladin is the sweatiest Paladin. It's a mystery Shiro will never be able to solve. "Not to change the subject, but we'll probably be in here for a few days," Shiro says. "Do you know of a way to stream movies or something?"

"Only if I were allowed to have my laptop," Pidge grumbles. "But no, pretty sure you said I couldn't use it, that it was off-limits because I needed to rest."

"I gave it some thought," Shiro starts, "And since you slept most of today, I figured that you might want something to do, keep your mind busy. So..." he reaches beneath his bed and hands Pidge her bulky little laptop. "If you want to work on finding your brother and father, we can work on that together."

Pidge snatches it out of Shiro's hands and clutches it tightly against her chest. "Wait, I thought you said you wanted to stream movies," Pidge says.

"It's whatever you want to do."

Pidge thinks on it for a little bit. "Can we try to research some places where my dad and brother might be?"

"Of course."

* * *

It ends up being too difficult for Pidge to get much done, thanks mainly to a massive headache she starts to have an hour into their research. So Shiro reads some old novels aloud to her as he sits beside her. She leans against him, finding herself incredibly comfortable with him despite her fever and fatigue. It's getting harder and harder for her to keep her eyes open, even as she focuses on Shiro's soothing voice. His voice is quickly becoming one of her favorite noises, next to the start-up chime of her computer and the beeps and boops of robots, of course.

"I love you," she says, mere seconds before falling asleep.

"Me, too," Shiro whispers. He can't bring himself to say those words to her when she's awake or nodding off, not in the middle of this war, not while she's finding her family. The war and search for her family are of the utmost importance, and for now, his feelings will have to wait until the universe is ready and when Pidge is fully recovered.

It won't be easy, but it's for the best for everyone. For the time being, then, Shiro retreats into the safety and familiarity of friendship, just until the moment is right.

**Author's Note:**

> This story is part of the [LLF Comment Project](https://longlivefeedback.tumblr.com/llfcommentproject), which was created to improve communication between readers and authors. This author invites and appreciates feedback, including:
> 
>   * Short comments
>   * Long comments
>   * Questions
>   * Constructive criticism
>   * <3 as extra kudos
>   * Reader-reader interaction
> 

> 
> This author replies to comments.
> 
> Follow me on Twitter: @d0gbless


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